1963 · Oldsmobile · United States
1963 Oldsmobile Starfire: A Squared-Off Roof, and Production Falls 38 Percent
A squared-off roof with a concave rear window; production fell 38 percent to 25,890.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
For 1963 the Starfire got an exclusive roofline with a squared-off profile and a distinctive concave rear window, while keeping the same 345-horsepower 394 V8, the only engine offered, and the Hydra-Matic-only drivetrain. Production fell 38 percent to 25,890 cars, split 21,489 hardtops at a factory price of $4,129 and 4,401 convertibles at $4,742, a decline in both body styles despite the freshened roofline and the real styling attention Oldsmobile clearly put into distinguishing the car from its full-size siblings that year.1,2
Car Life tested a Starfire hardtop in May 1963 and recorded 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds, a standing quarter mile of 17.2 seconds at 89 mph, and a top speed of 112 mph at 4,800 rpm, all with a test car weighing 4,560 pounds and priced at $4,562 as tested. The magazine noted explicitly that no manual transmission was available, describing the Hydra-Matic as effectively a three-speed unit with a torque converter added, despite Oldsmobile's own "4-stage" branding for it, shifted through a console-mounted T-handle rather than a conventional lever. The test car also carried an optional tilting steering wheel, priced at $43.04.3
A small disagreement runs through the compression ratio for the same 394 V8: the AMA specification sheet, dated September 1, 1962, and Car Life's own road test both give 10.50:1, while Over-Drive's separate compilation lists 10.25:1 for the identical engine. The record shows both figures rather than picking one, since the factory AMA document and the contemporary magazine test agree with each other independently, giving that pairing somewhat more weight without formally discarding Over-Drive's own separately compiled number.4,3,1
Weight differed between the AMA sheet's own figures and Car Life's independently weighed test car: the factory sheet gives the hardtop a 4,343-pound curb weight, split 2,418 pounds front and 1,925 rear, while Car Life's own scale read 4,560 pounds for its test example, a real-world gap that likely reflects options, fuel, and test equipment rather than any factory-versus-magazine dispute over the base figure. The convertible carried more weight still on the factory sheet, 4,492 pounds curb, split 2,480 front and 2,012 rear, both bodies riding on a 123-inch wheelbase and stretching 214.5 inches overall, 77.9 inches wide, with a 62.2-inch front track against 61.0 at the rear, riding on 8.00x14 tires on the hardtop and 8.50x14 on the convertible.4,3
The 394 wasn't exclusive to the Starfire that year: Oldsmobile's own AMA sheet and Over-Drive's coverage both confirm the 98 Custom Sport Coupe, body style 3947, shared the same 345-horsepower engine, meaning a buyer who wanted the top Rocket V8 without the Starfire's bucket-seat, console-shift cabin had a genuinely second way to get it that year. Rear-seat accommodation differed slightly by body style too: 35.8 inches of minimum effective leg room in the hardtop against 35.4 in the convertible, with head room running 38.1 inches against 38.0, small numbers that nonetheless mattered in a car marketed as a genuine five-passenger personal-luxury coupe rather than a sporty two-seater, a distinction the AMA sheet's own passenger-capacity footnote makes explicit for both the hardtop and the convertible alike.4,1
Fact sheet · 1963 · United States
The numbers
1963 Oldsmobile Starfire — A squared-off roof with a concave rear window; production fell 38 percent to 25,890.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starfire series, all1 Starfire · hardtop and convertible · not stated by source | 25,890 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starfire Holiday hardtop (3647)1,2 Starfire · 2-door hardtop, 5-passenger · 394 V-8 345 hp · Hydra-Matic · not stated by source | 21,489 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Starfire convertible (3667)1,2 Starfire · 2-door convertible, 5-passenger · 394 V-8 345 hp · Hydra-Matic · not stated by source | 4,401 | built, model-year | Reported |
The two body rows sum to the series total.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Starfire hardtop coupe1,3 | $4,129 | factory price (Over-Drive) / list price (Car Life), 1963 model year |
| Starfire convertible1 | $4,742 | factory price as listed by Over-Drive, 1963 model year |
| Car Life test car as tested3 | $4,562 | price as tested, 1963-05 |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 394 Starfire V-81,3,4 394 cu in · Rochester 4GC four-barrel | 345 hp @ 4,800, 440 lb-ft @ 3,200 (SAE gross) | standard (only engine) | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Hydra-Matic ("4-stage", described by Car Life as effectively a 3-speed with a torque converter), console T-handle3,1,4 | standard; no manual available | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tilting steering wheel3 | $43.04 | Not yet sourced |
|
Air conditioning1 | $430 | Not yet sourced |
|
Bi-phonic radio speakers1 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Electric antenna1 | $26 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power seats1 | $97 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power windows1 | $106 | Not yet sourced |
|
Radio, AM/FM1 | $124 | Not yet sourced |
|
Radio, DeLuxe1 | $89 | Not yet sourced |
|
Radio, Super DeLuxe signal seeking1 | $124 | Not yet sourced |
|
Rear window defroster1 | $21 | Not yet sourced |
|
Remote-control outside mirror1 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Seat belts1 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Tinted glass1 | $43 | Not yet sourced |
|
Vinyl roof1 | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
A |
Ebony Black1 | Not yet sourced |
C |
Provincial White1 | Not yet sourced |
D |
Sheffield Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
F |
Wedgewood Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
H |
Cirrus Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
J |
Willow Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
K |
Barktone Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
L |
Regal Red1 | Not yet sourced |
P |
Pacific Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
R |
Sand Beige1 | Not yet sourced |
S |
Saddle Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
T |
Sahara Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
V |
Holiday Red1 | Not yet sourced |
W |
Midnight Mist1 | Not yet sourced |
X |
Antique Rose1 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Vinyl-trimmed bucket-seat interior with central console and T-shift handle (test car)3 | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Axle ratio1,3 | 3.42 :1 | Starfire |
| Curb weight (test car)3 | 4,330 lb | Car Life hardtop |
| Wheelbase3 | 123 in | Starfire |
| Overall height4 | 55 in | Starfire hardtop coupe 3657 |
| Tires4 | 8.00 x 14 | Starfire hardtop coupe 3657 |
| Curb weight4 | 4,343 lb | Starfire hardtop coupe 3657 (front 2418, rear 1925) |
| Shipping weight (licensing weight)4 | 4,173 lb | Starfire hardtop coupe 3657 |
| Overall height4 | 55.9 in | Starfire convertible 3667 |
| Tires4 | 8.50 x 14 | Starfire convertible 3667 |
| Curb weight4 | 4,492 lb | Starfire convertible 3667 (front 2480, rear 2012) |
| Shipping weight (licensing weight)4 | 4,322 lb | Starfire convertible 3667 |
| Overall length4 | 214.5 in | Starfire 3657 and 3667 |
| Overall width4 | 77.9 in | Starfire 3657 and 3667 |
| Tread4 | 62.2 front / 61.0 rear in | Starfire 3657 and 3667 |
| Passenger capacity4 | 5 passengers | Starfire 3657 and 3667 (bucket front seats standard) |
| Minimum effective rear leg room4 | 35.8 in | Starfire coupe 3657 |
| Effective rear head room4 | 38.1 in | Starfire coupe 3657 |
Period road tests
| Test | Car tested | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Car Life, 1963-0530-60 mph | Starfire hardtop, 394/345, Hydra-Matic, 3.42test weight 4,560 lb | 8.5 s |
| Car Life, 1963-053Standing quarter mile | same | 17.2 s, 89 mph |
| Car Life, 1963-053Top speed | sameat 4800 rpm | 112 mph |
A road test result belongs to the one car that was tested, with its engine, gearing, tires, and conditions. It is not a figure for every car of the year.
Identification
- Body style numbers
- 3657 Starfire 2-door hardtop coupe (5 passengers, bucket front seats standard); 3667 Starfire 2-door convertible coupe (5 passengers). The 98 Custom Sport Coupe (3947) shared the 345-hp engine.4,1
Where the sources disagree
Identification
Read a 1963 Oldsmobile VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1963
- Buick Riviera Buick's first Riviera, a four-seat personal-luxury hardtop limited to 40,000 cars, with a 401 Nailhead standard and a 340-hp 425 added in December 1962.
- Buick Wildcat The Wildcat became its own series, adding a convertible and four-door hardtop; 35,725 built.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova First Nova Super Sport year in the source production table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 372,626 cars; Super Sport 42,432.
- Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport (RPO Z03) peaks toward the 1960s high: 153,271 built, plus the Z11 427 drag package.
- Chrysler 300 letter series Hardtop-only and trimmed exclusively in Claret Red leather, the 300J carried a 390 hp short-ram 413 as its only engine; 400 were built, the smallest letter-car run.
- Dodge Dart 330/440, Polara and Max Wedge The Max Wedge grew to 426 cu in, rated at 415 or 425 hp, and a Ramchargers Dodge driven by Herman Moser won Stock at the 1963 NHRA Nationals; Ramcharger production remains unsourced.
- Ford Fairlane Hardtops and wagons joined the Fairlane line; reference-site counts give 28,268 bucket-seat Fairlane 500 Sport Coupes, beside 97,444 Fairlanes and 246,443 Fairlane 500s.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The mid-year 1963 1/2 Sprint put the Fairlane's 164 hp 260 V8 into the compact Falcon for the first time, as a hardtop and a convertible.
- Ford Galaxie The 406 opened the year and was replaced mid-year by the 427, in Q-code (410 hp, one four-barrel) and R-code (425 hp, two four-barrels) form, while a fastback Sports Hardtop was offered in the Galaxie 500 and 500 XL series.
- Ford Thunderbird The Sports Roadster's second and last year: only 455 were built.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The S-55 line grew to four bodies, and the mid-year fastback Marauder hardtop arrived with 390, 406 and 427 V8s available.
- Plymouth Savoy, Fury and Max Wedge The Super Stock engine grew to 426 cu in at 415 or 425 hp, a Stage II revision followed, and Chrysler's own four-speed arrived in May 1963; Super Stock production remains unsourced.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty Three Super Duty 421 ratings up to 410 hp, then GM's racing withdrawal ended them early in the model year.
- Pontiac Grand Prix Production more than doubled to 72,959 at an unchanged price.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans A V8 for the Tempest, and about a dozen Super Duty Tempests built for racing before Pontiac's January 1963 withdrawal.
- Studebaker Avanti Studebaker's fiberglass four-seat coupe went on sale with a 289 V8 and an optional $210 Paxton supercharger. It was billed on the strength of a 1962 run of Bonneville records, and 3,834 were built as 1963 models.
- Studebaker Hawk The GT Hawk could now be ordered with the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines, and a spring 1963 package created the Super Hawk. Old Cars Weekly counts 396 R1 cars among 4,009 domestic GT Hawks.
- Studebaker Lark and Super Lark Studebaker offered the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines in the compact Lark and added a Super Lark package in April. No source read gives an R2 Lark count; the estimates run from about 200 to a few hundred.